Consultation on the future of the Dioceses of Middlesbrough & Leeds As part of the consultation currently taking place across our two Dioceses, there is an opportunity for all clergy, religious and members of the lay faithful to contribute by completing an online questionnaire, either individually or as a parish group. Prayerful reflection should be given to the questions so that the Holy Spirit may guide this process of discernment. Prayer resources and a presentation are available on the diocesan website to support this process. Responses should be submitted no later than Friday, 22nd May 2026. For more information and to complete the questionnaire, please visit: https://middlesbrough-diocese.org.uk/consultation/ Thank you for the time and prayer you can offer to this important task, which has been entrusted to us by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. With every blessing and the assurance of my prayers, I remain, Yours in the Lord Jesus Christ, Marcus Apostolic Administrator Diocese of Middlesbrough
MAP - METHODIST ASYLUM SOCIETY A huge “thank you” to all those who donated to the March 25th Delivery. A collage of images from the MAP Christmas Gathering can be seen in the Hall. There is NO planned delivery in April
CAFOD Lent Appeal – Family Fast Day collection This Lent, live out the Gospel call to love your neighbour. By fasting and giving what you save, you join in Christ’s compassion and help another family put food on the table. Your donation can help families around the world grow food in difficult conditions – such as on flood-resistant floating gardens or using solar-powered water pumps in times of drought. Collect a CAFOD envelope to bless others with your support, donate online at cafod.org.uk/envelope or call 0303 303 3030. Text CAFODLENT to 70085 to donate £10.
MARY’S MEALS Mary’s Meals currently works in 16 of the world’s poorest countries, feeding over 3 million young children one good meal every day in their place of education. They are asking you to donate any left over foreign currency or obsolete UK currency that you may have lying around. Just bring any foreign or old coins/notes to church by Easter Sunday and we will pass them on. The money raised from this initiative will help Mary’s Meals bring hope to more desperately hungry children across the globe. Every 10p is enough to provide a hungry child with a nutritious meal in school. Mary’s Meals would like to thank you for your continuous support & prayers.
MOTHERS DAY BAKE SALE A BIG THANK YOU to all who bought cakes, bakes or sweets from our successful Cake & Bake sale last Sunday. We raised £142.30 which will go towards our Fabric fund. Thank you also to anyone who set up and cleared away; your help is much appreciated. Jennie Black
The Sick: The Diocese, on advice and under Data Protection Regulations (May 2018), asks us not to name individuals, but to pray for them as a group within the Parish Body as those in particular need.
Recently Dead: Michael Marshall, Martin Brown, Jan Mangles, Jean Thompson
Anniversaries: Massimo Brooke, Fr Justin Caldwell OSB, Adrian Stewart, David Carter, Noel Francis Allen, Dorothy Wallinger
HOME COMMUNIONS If you require Holy Communion at home, please contact Fr Kentigern or Fr Bernard either by e-mail or leave a telephone message by 8.00pm on Friday evening stating whether you require a weekly visit or a one-off call. Someone will then be in contact to arrange a suitable day and time to visit.
EASY FUNDRAISER Do you regularly shop online? Did you know you could support your church at the same time? For more information speak to Tracey in the Parish Office and see information leaflets in the Hall.
WORLD COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION Meets each week: Mondays at 2pm - 3pm in St Ben’s Hall: contact Mary Sturges Thursdays at 8pm - 8 45pm on Zoom: contact David and Sue Walsh Should you wish to join either group contact Mary Sturges 01439788563.
CHRISTIAN MEN OF THE VALLEY Meet each Monday at 8.00pm to share faith, friendship and interests.
FABRIC PROJECTS Works have cost £35000. Thanks to some recent generous donations we have raised £3449.17. All donations gratefully received.
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY Mr Wilding has rejoined the team of lay chaplains at York Hospital. He has produced an information sheet about this ministry, including details of how to contact a chaplain and arrange a visit to a loved one in hospital. You will find these notes at the back of church.
PARKING Could I encourage as many as possible on Saturday Evening or Sunday Morning to use the parking available off St Hilda’s Walk – below the allotments or in the Doctor’s Surgery. This will help to prevent the congestion building up on West End during the weekend.
Middlesbrough SVP Vinnie Camp Could you volunteer to help a child make new friends, build their confidence and make memories to treasure this summer? We need adults to work as part of a team of 8 volunteers providing pastoral care to 20 children aged 9 – 11 years old. The residential camp will run from Monday 10 August until Friday 14th August 2026 at Peat Rigg Outdoor Activity Centre, Pickering. You don’t need to be an existing member of an SVP group, but you must be over 18 with enhanced DBS. All volunteers receive training from the SVP national team. Food, accommodation and travel expenses will be covered. To find out more about the camp or to request an application form, email this year’s camp leader Patricia Nobbs [email protected]
MONASTERY OF CHRIST THE WORD, ZIMBABWE Fr Barnabas, Fr Terence, Fr Cuthbert, Br Placid & Br Moses wish to express their immense gratitude to all those who have kindly made direct donations, totalling £1,100 + gift aid to the Monastery of Christ the Word in the past two months. They are so grateful for your support and to Mary Sturges for kindly keeping parishioners up to date with information about the Monastery of Christ the Word and the funds needed to support people in the locality.
Volunteering at Ampleforth Abbey Guests have been welcomed at Ampleforth Abbey since it was founded in 1802. Today, volunteers play an important role in welcoming our guests and visitors. If you’re looking for a new experience, want to meet new people, or learn new skills in a peaceful, supportive and caring environment, then volunteering at Ampleforth Abbey could be for you. Current opportunities include Welcome Volunteers and Orchard Volunteers. Visit our website to learn more: www.ampleforthabbey.org.uk/volunteer-us
REFRESHMENTS after Saturday Vigil Mass on April 11th in St Benedict's Hall. Come and meet your fellow parishioners!
THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Fr Kentigern invites any who would be interested to reflections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church using an Ascension Podcast by Fr Mike Schmidt. St Benedict’s Church Hall. Tuesdays 10.15am starting on 14 April or Fridays 7.00pm starting on 16 April
THE CHURCH OF ST HILDA AND THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY AND ST BENEDICT
Rev James & Fr Kentigern invite you to join them for
COMMUNITY PRAYERS 10.00am
Monday 30 March - Our Lady & St Benedict Monday 13 April – St Hilda Monday 27 April – Our Lady & St Benedict Followed by refreshments and fellowship ALL WELCOME
HOLY WEEK 2026 The week that changed the world.
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday Procession and Mass 10.00am. We begin in St Benedict’s Church Hall with the Blessing of Palms. We then process into church for Mass including the reading of the Passion according to St Matthew. The children are invited back into the Hall for their own Liturgy of the Word.
Tuesday 31 March: Chrism Mass All are invited to Middlesbrough Cathedral for Mass beginning at 12.00pm. There the new oil stocks are blessed and the priests renew their commitment to their ministry.
Thursday 2 April: Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7.30pm, followed by Watching at the Altar of Repose till 10.00pm. We gather to celebrate the gift of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. WE commemorate Jesus washing the feet of his disciples (volunteers will be gratefully accepted). The new stocks of the Holy Oils are received. All Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are invited to publicly renew their commitment to this ministry. At the end of Mass we process with the Blessed Sacrament into St Benedict’s Church Hall to watch as in the Garden of Gethsemene until 10.00pm when we read the Gospel of Jesus’ arrest. Meanwhile the church is stripped of all decoration.
Friday 3 April: Good Friday Walk of Witness – Oswaldkirk 10.00am. An opportunity to publicly witness to our faith along with our brothers and sisters of other church communities. We carry a large cross and pray the Stations of the Cross. Solemn Liturgy 3.00pm We gather silently in our bare church to commemorate Christ’s saving death and to venerate the cross. Our children are invited to their own liturgy before joining the congregation for the veneration.
Saturday 4 April: Holy Saturday The Easter Vigil 8.00pm. The greatest celebration in the Church. We light and bless the new fire as a sign of the resurrection. We hear the story of our salvation and renew the grace of our baptism.
Sunday 5 April: Easter Sunday Mass 10.00am The joy filled celebration of the Resurrection, including Children’s Liturgy of the Word. There is often an Easter Egg Hunt at the end of Mass.
DIVINE MERCY DEVOTIONS The Feast of the Divine Mercy will be celebrated on Sunday 12th April (Divine Mercy Sunday) in Our Lady and St Benedict's church starting at 2.45 pm. Bishop Marcus wrote about the importance of this devotion in his recent letter. We will be praying the Chaplet and venerating the picture. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed and there will be an opportunity to go to Confession; it's an opportunity to receive special graces. Afterwards tea and scones will be served in St Benedict's Hall.
Lend with Care – we have £800 to spend. We need young volunteers to select a business or two they would like to support by going onto https://lendwithcare.org/search ? Tell Anthony on 07711 423649 or [email protected]
ABCDBETHLEHEM Andrew Laird’s pilgrimage to Walsingham – Andrew has kindly agreed to lend his miles towards a virtual pilgrimage from London to Bethlehem to support ABCD Bethlehem’s hope for hearing appeal in Palestine. That’s 166 miles towards our total of 2,000. By supporting Andrew you are helping deaf and hard of hearing children in the refugee camps. Either speak to Anthony or go to www.abcdbethlehem.org .
FUTURE EVENTS 🌍Divine Renovation, Ten Years Later
Ten years after the first publication of Divine Renovation, Fr. James Mallon returns with a fresh invitation to move from maintenance to mission. In this webinar hosted by our friends at Novalis, Fr. James reflects on what we’ve learned from a decade of parish renewal, shares real stories from around the world, and offers practical next steps for leaders ready to see their parish come alive in the Spirit. WATCH OUT FOR DETAILS OF A WATCH PARTY WITH FR KENTIGERN
15 – 19 August 2026 Worth School Sussex
“CELEBRATE gathers together and sustains families from all over the country. It celebrates family life by providing opportunities for worship, for the deepening of personal faith, and the faith of the family. Among its achievements are catechesis for people of all ages, contact with other Catholic organisations and a sense of belonging to the whole Church in all its variety. CELEBRATE is founded on the living and felt experience of the Holy Spirit.“ Bishop David Evans, Archdiocese of Birmingham
Some Parish families have experienced this in the past. If you’re interested please see the website and speak to Fr Kentigern https://www.celebratefestival.org/
MIDDLESBROUGH FOOODBANK - MFB Dear MFB Supporters, Thank you all so much for bringing hope to Teesside families who really need it. You make a difference to their lives through your kindness! Tracey and the volunteers were touched by your generosity, and we were very grateful to Sue Allen and Jonathan Pomroy for collecting and to Sue for delivering from the Ampleforth Benefice, as well as to everyone who contributed to the Ampleforth Hub and on-line.
“Please pass on my sincere thanks, to everyone for their donations to Middlesbrough Foodbank this morning. We are really grateful for your continued support. The totals are: Cash £130.00 Cheques £110.00 Food 210.61kg These donations are really appreciated and needed. Thank you for all you do to help and support us.’’
TUES. APRIL 21st is the date of the NEXT DELIVERY, with the deadline for donations, 12 noon on Mon. 2Oth. Please remember, every donation counts and is gratefully received!
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. THANK YOU ALL!
MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation?